Monday, August 17, 2015

Ear-Worn Wearables Aimed at Giving You Bionic Hearing Are on the Way | MIT Technology Review

Looking forward to hearing more

"There are already plenty of companies out there selling ear-worn devices like hearing aids and Bluetooth headsets. Doppler’s products are neither of those. It’s one of a few companies working on wearable gadgets that aim to augment the average person’s hearing: you’d be able to adjust the bass and treble at a concert with a few swipes on an accompanying smartphone app, or block out specific noises like a crying baby or the hum of an airplane engine.

The wearables market is growing at a rapid clip: the market researcher IDC says shipments of wearable devices tripled during the first three months of 2015, to 11.4 million. Though most of these wearables are wristbands, Doppler and other startups focusing on sound enhancement, like Nuheara and Soundhawk, believe consumers are getting comfortable enough with technology worn on the body to put it in their ears."